Shacknews Covers Brad Wardell’s GDC Speech

Published on March 24, 2009 By Island Dog In PC Gaming

As we have mentioned several times over the past week, the Game Developers Conference is in full force this week, and yesterday Stardock’s Brad Wardell gave a speech which Shacknews reported on today.

"These games were once mainstream games," said Brad Wardell, CEO of Sins of a Solar Empire publisher Stardock, speaking of them fondly as he cycled through screenshots. "How long has it been since you've seen an adventure game at retail? Exactly."

But the subject of Wardell's GDC lecture was not how low the PC market has sunk, but rather how these sorts of games can still be made--and do very well. “

Head over to Shacknews to view their full article.

Photo credit: Sklathill

Comments

Hawawaa

on Mar 24, 2009

Dude Thanks I was hoping someone link some articles from GDC.

Zyxpsilon

on Mar 24, 2009

Interesting numbers, i particularily liked the mention about beta steps (or modding, tks!) which proves, once again, great products are the result of pure collaboration rather than publishers' calendar slotting, wreck or deck.

This HardCore market is expanding. Believe me - Boomers generation will soon retire as a whole and they've got the cash, the mindset and a past filled with Arcades, Mario' consoles, floppy disks and a full schedule of strategic leisures. Nevermind who delivers & what.. they want Quality. Fast & Easy.

Blitz64

on Mar 25, 2009

Only 1 million dollars to make Sins and GalCiv2. I guess they are small budget games. $1mil only gets you about 10 people for 1 year.

"$8 million in revenue" which equals about 200,000 copies of Sins sold. Not bad. Lets hope Demigod will do better.

elias001

on Mar 25, 2009

World of Goo cost only like 10,000 dollars to make, and the two former EA guys who came up with the concept were absolute geniusl

Serik55

on Mar 25, 2009

Blitz64

reply 3

"$8 million in revenue" which equals about 200,000 copies of Sins sold. Not bad. Lets hope Demigod will do better.

Sins of a Solar Empire has sold at least 500,000 units as of September 2008.

alway

on Mar 25, 2009

Yes, the sales and revenue does not add up. By the looks of it by 'revenue' he means profit.

Zyxpsilon

on Mar 25, 2009

Revenue = Gross sales.

Substract all & every expenses such as budget, inherent administrative costs, salaries, publicity, distribution, etc = NET Revenue.

Substract State Taxes, & investors' Dividends -- only then can you start talkin' or boosting about some profit(s) which, btw, gets somehow re-invested in the business itself or wasted on luxury stuff by ownership - public or private.

Accounting is a common principle, worldwide.

Deviate from *it*, you're a crook.

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